This invention relates to a treat-dispensing module that can be removably attached to other modules and will gradually dispense treats to a chewing animal. In particular, it relates to a module that has an elastomeric hollow treat holder in which treats can be placed, where the treat holder has a male end and a female end that attach to the female end or the male end of other modules, respectively.
To order to keep dogs and other chewing animals active and entertained, while also stimulating their intellect, they may be provided with toys, of which there are three principal types. Soft, stuffed toys may be made of materials such as rope, fleece, or other soft materials that dogs can rip apart. These toys typically occupy a dog's attention for only about 10 minutes before it loses interest. A dog might play with the remaining pieces intermittently for a few days by tossing them around or ripping them apart further, but after the initial encounter, these type of toys seldom engage a dog for longer than 10 minutes at a time. They also make a considerably mess for owners to clean up.
The second type of toy is the edible toy, such as treats or bones. Treats do not last long and are usually consumed in a few minutes. Some dogs can eat only specially made treats that are allergen-free or dietetic, which are difficult to find. Durable bones, such as rawhide, can initially engage a dog 20 minutes or longer, and a dog will chew the same rawhide bone from time to time over the course of a few days, but will then lose interest. Rawhide can also be difficult for some dogs to chew, due to teeth problems. Also, some owners will not permit their dogs to chew rawhide because there is a risk of choking on it.
The third type of toy is a “treat dispenser,” in which the owner or the manufacturer can place a treat that the dog must locate and remove by chewing. The treats can be either dry (such as pieces of dry dog food) or moist (such a peanut butter or special recipes). These dispensers are typically simple rubber containers with an opening in them. A dog will spend more time with this type of toy because he has the challenge of forcing the treat out of the dispenser; if dry food is being dispensed, this may require 5 or 10 minutes. If a moist treat is used, it usually will stick to the dispenser and it may take the dog 15 to 20 minutes to force the treat out and lick it off. Once a dog has figured out how to remove the treat, he will remove it more quickly and the toy will become less interesting and less stimulating.
Some of these rubber treat dispensers have only surface openings of the type that when treats are placed in them, the treats protrude beyond the toy's surface, allowing an animal to simply pull them out. This provides a lesser challenge to the animal.
There are also treat-dispensing toys made of a hard plastic material. These can be a simple container with surface openings or more complex structures, an outer container possessing an inner container that tumbles as the dog plays with it. Depending on how the dog tumbles it, treats fall out when the openings of the inner and outer containers line up. These toys can be unpleasant to use because of the noise they make (hard plastic dropping against wood or tile floors, etc), they can cause damage to these same surfaces, and their hardness can cause injury to a dog's mouth. Also, with the double containers, the treats are set far within the toy, creating a hard-to-win situation for the animal. None of these are constructed from modules that can be attached and detached.